Jermaine Jackson is fighting back against a $6.5 million default judgment in a sexual assault lawsuit, arguing that the case unfairly overshadowed his son Jaafar’s breakout role in the Michael biopic. The Jackson 5 member claims he was blindsided by the judgment during the press tour for the film, which stars his son as the late King of Pop.
In new legal documents filed in Los Angeles, Jermaine says he was unaware of Rita Butler Barrett’s lawsuit against him until coverage of the default judgment appeared during promotion of the biopic. He says the reports ruined “what should have been a proud and important professional moment for my son and our family.” He added that he was “shocked and deeply concerned about the effect of those reports on my reputation and on the promotion of my son’s motion picture.”
Barrett filed her lawsuit in December 2023 under California’s Sexual Abuse and Cover-Up Accountability Act, alleging that Jermaine forced his way into her home in 1988 and violently raped her. She claimed she knew Jermaine through her husband, who worked with Motown founder Berry Gordy. According to the complaint, Barrett reported the assault to Gordy but he concealed the information to protect Jermaine’s career.
When Jermaine never responded to the lawsuit, Barrett’s attorneys moved for and secured a default judgment of $6.5 million in damages and court costs on May 14, 2026. The judgment came after Barrett’s legal team attempted to serve Jermaine at multiple addresses and published a legal notice in the Los Angeles Times for four consecutive weeks, which satisfied service requirements under California law.
Jermaine now seeks to have the default judgment thrown out. In court documents, he argues he was never properly served because he lives abroad in Bahrain and the notices used his “obsolete former legal name.” He legally changed his name in 2013 to “Jermaine LaJuane Jacksun,” and argues that the notices using “Jermaine Jackson” were ineffective.
He also denies the allegations entirely. “I did not rape plaintiff. I did not sexually assault plaintiff. I deny the material allegations of the complaint, deny liability and dispute damages. I request the opportunity to defend this case on the merits,” he stated in a sworn declaration.
A hearing on Jermaine’s motion to vacate the default judgment is scheduled for June 30, 2026, in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The judge will decide whether to allow the case to proceed on its merits or let the $6.5 million judgment stand. If the motion is granted, Jermaine says he is ready to defend himself in court.
